LOWELL, Mass.—Sharp netminding by junior Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) helped the No. 17/20 UMass Lowell men's hockey team (15-10-3, 9-6-3 Hockey East) battle to a 1-1 draw and claim a critical extra point in the shootout against Maine (13-13-3, 7-9-2 HEA) Sunday afternoon in front of 4,019 fans.
Welsch allowed just one goal and finished the night with 29 saves, including several key stops in the overtime stretch. Improving to a 7-5-1 mark this season, Welsch backstopped the River Hawks' penalty kill to another flawless performance and kept both of Maine's shootout attempts off target.
Sophomore Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) net the lone goal for UMass Lowell in the Sunday afternoon tilt. Seniors Marek Korencik (Zilina, Slovakia) and Zach Kaiser (Orangeville, Ontario) registered helpers on the first-period tally. A key member of the UMass Lowell penalty kill, senior Jake Stella (Karlstad, Sweden) led the team with three blocks. On defense, juniors Brehdan Engum (Burnsville, Minn.) and Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) as well as graduate student Jon McDonald (Livonia, Mich.) each registered two blocks.
"I thought it was a good hockey game. I thought both teams played well. Both goaltenders played well. Both teams managed the puck. It's just one of those Sunday games where it was a little slow developing," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "There was action within the game, and both teams had two or three power plays. It wasn't many goals, but we got the extra point in the shootout, which could prove valuable at one point at the end of the year."
Scoring came early for the River Hawks after a strong opening push kept UMass Lowell in the offensive zone. Just 3:27 into the action, a quick decision by Cole launched the team into the lead. Sweeping behind the cage, Kaiser snuck in a feed on the near side back up to the blueline for Korenčik. The defensemen took a few quick touches before wristing the puck towards the net, only to be deflected by the pipe. As the puck ricocheted loose, Cole scooped the redirected shot and slid it between the legs of Maine's Victor Ostman for the opening strike.
The Black Bears responded just minutes later, however, capitalizing on traffic in front of the net to sneak one past Welsch at 6:35. The teams spent the remainder of the frame trading blows, but the goaltending battle held steady to close out the first at a 1-1 deadlock.
A scoreless second period forced both sides to up the physicality and intensity in hopes of claiming the lead. Sophomore Gabe Blanchard (East Aurora, N.Y.) served as an intimidating barrier on defense, making several well-timed moves to knock the Black Bears off-balance.
Several close calls at the goal line tested Ostman and Welsch for the twenty minutes, with the duo making a game-high 12 stops each in the middle block. After shutting down both Maine penalties, Welsch made one of his most important stops of the game as he kicked away a close-range shot from David Breazeale to hold the tie.
Shot blocking and standout goaltending by the River Hawks in the third period proved to be key game-changers as the Black Bears upped the pressure on the backcheck. Despite UMass Lowell's three power play opportunities in the third, Maine nearly converted on a handful of breakaways to nearly strike. McDonald and freshman Dillan Bentley (Peoria, Ill.) stopped two potential game-winning shots from the Black Bears in the final moments of the third. In the final two seconds of the game, McDonald nearly sealed the win for the River Hawks but was waved off to signal the overtime period.
Welsch dominated the extra block, putting on a clinic between the pipes as he knocked down four shots from Maine. Although both squads desperately chased down the golden goal, neither found twine and the teams turned to the shootout. Senior Carl Berglund (Hammaro, Sweden) and freshman Scout Truman (Lethbridge, Alberta) got the call for the River Hawks, both successfully tucking the puck past Ostman. Welsch capped his standout night with a perfect performance in his first career shootout to earn the extra point for UMass Lowell.
The River Hawks return to action next weekend, Feb. 17-18, with a home-and-home series against Providence.
